The following Mark's Daily Apple article was written by Mark Sisson

and is narrated by Tina Lehman.

How your oral biome influences your overall health.

In response to my post on oral health a few weeks ago, one reader offered a comment about the oral biome,

and it's a worthy follow-up, I'd say.

The human oral cavity is home to hundreds of microorganisms.

Latest estimates place the number of bacterial species in your mouth at close to 700,

with the odd fungus, protozoa, and even virus thrown in for good measure.

This oral microbiome isn't a whole lot different than that of our gut,

but where things get interesting is when we consider the diverse range of habitats within

the mouth. Teeth, tongue, cheeks, gums, tonsils, all provide different living conditions for those

microorganisms that colonize them. But that diversity of habitats also encourages a diversity of species.

And it's fair to say that human microbiological research as a whole began with the mouth.

In 1683, Dutch businessman and self-taught scientist Antony von Leavenhook scraped off a bit of

plaque from his teeth, slotted it under his homemade microscope, and was the

first person ever to physically see his own bacteria. Suddenly, one's body was no longer wholly

one's own. Since then, the study of oral microbiology has waxed and waned, but in recent years

the topic has been a hotbed of activity in the scientific sphere.

While the health of your gut flora is important, it's becoming increasingly apparent that so too is the health of your mouth flora.

What is the function of the oral microbiome other than being tiny and gross?

By now you've firmly wrapped your head around the importance of homeostasis. As hocus pocus as it sounds, achieving

equilibrium in the body is critical to maintaining robust health. This Zen-like mantra applies

...